The Basics
Drake men's soccer will split its next two matches in Des Moines and on the road. The Bulldogs are set to host Belmont (Oct. 3) before embarking on another trip to Bowling Green (Oct. 10).
Bulldog Breakdown
Drake recently earned its third draw of the year and first since their two opening matches. The Bulldogs' tie at Saint Louis followed their first MVC match of the year, a 1-0 defeat at Evansville.
Through eight matches, the Bulldogs sit at 4-3-3 overall and are one of three 0-1 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Key Players
Evan Carlson | 6 PTS, 9 SH, 3 G
Barrett Kitts | 4 PTS, 4 A, 4 SH
Malachi Anya | 3 PTS, 3 A, SH
Tomas Butkovic | 15 SV, SV% .789, GA 4, GAA 0.51
Scouting Belmont
The Bruins of Belmont enter this weekend with a record of 4-4-1 overall. The Bruins are 3-2 in their last five matches including a 3-0 win over St. Thomas in their last time out. Saturday will be Belmont's first MVC contest of the year.
David Costa is in his eighth season as an NCAA Division I head coach, all of which has taken place at Belmont. Costa has led the Bruins to a mark of 57-46-26 during his tenure.
Drake leads the all-time series with Belmont by a 5-1 margin. The Bulldogs have won the last two meetings and are a perfect 3-0 when playing Belmont in Des Moines. The Bruins are seeking their first defeat of the Dogs since 2013.
Key Players
Nate Mefford | 9 PTS, 4 G, A, 7 SH
Paul Claes Nielsen | 7 PTS, 3 G, A, 22 SH
John McDowell | 7 PTS, 2 G, 3 A, 18 SH
Brody Sucher | 37 SV, .725 SV%, 14 GA, 1.63 GAA, SHO
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green is currently tied with Drake at 0-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Falcons have also gone 2-6-2 overall so far in the 2026 season. Bowling Green is 1-1-1 over its last three with a tie at Mercyhurst, loss to Western Michigan, and win over Northern Kentucky, in that order. Bowling Green will visit Bradley on Oct. 3 before traveling to Des Moines a week later.
The Falcons are led by long-time head coach Eric Nichols, who is in his 18th season at the helm. Nichols has amassed a career record of 197-155-52 which included four years at Ohio Dominican. His Bowling Green record currently sits at 138-133-50.
A relatively new series, the Bulldogs currently trail Bowling Green in their history with a 1-2-1 Falcon advantage. Drake got its only win over the Falcons last year.
Key Players
Lucas Brinkman | 5 PTS, 2 G, A, 24 SH
Xavier Sims | 4 PTS, 2 G, 8 SH
Trace Terry | 4 PTS, 2 G, 3 SH
Enzo Gil | 21 SV, .636 SV%, 12 GA, 1.71 GAA
Up Next
Drake's 2026 schedule will continue with another MVC match on Oct. 17 versus Western Michigan before an Oct. 20 trip to Omaha for the Dogs' final non-conference bout of the year.
